The vision of the Cities and Climate Academy is to provide universities with resources to better address climate change in urban planning education. In the future an on-line facility is planned where specially designed lecture sessions would be uploaded for download by universities. A complete package for each session could contain: a lecture/power point presentation, supplementary lecture notes, a reading list, case studies, suggestions for studio/seminar work etc. Lecture sessions could be combined to develop a complete semester (or term) course, which would form one course module of a post-graduate (or graduate) degree. The objective here would be to mainstream climate change into existing syllabi. Individual lecture sessions could equally be used to address climate change in a traditional semester/term course. For example a lecture session on "transport planning and climate change" could be inserted in a general semester course on "transport planning". A dynamic web-platform is necessary. Users should be able to provide comments, upload case studies, lectures, additional reading material etc.
To reach a common understanding on how better urban planning and design can contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation, especially in the Developing Countries' context.
To agree on how best to equip urban planners and related professionals, especially in developing countries to deal with climate change and to conceptualize the core elements of a toolbox.
To reach a common understanding on how urban planning and design schools can better address climate change as an integral part of their curricula.
The idea for the Cities and Climate Change Academy was borne at the meeting. Recommendations from the University caucus on Climate Change and Urban Planning education were:
In the long-term a Cities and Climate Change Academy should be developed. This academy would provide an on-line depository of lectures, case studies, background reading, suggestions for studio work and seminars which could support planning education. In combination the modules could make up a semester course on Climate Change and Urban Planning.
In the short run, climate change seminars would be hosted by universities in the CCCI pilot countries in collaboration with the Habitat Partner Universities. The modules of these seminars would constitute the foundation of the Climate Change Academy.
A tool for urban planners resulting from the same workshop is currently being tested in the field and in training events. This document can be downloaded here.
The first regional university workshop on Climate Change was held in collaboration with the School of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Philippines in two distinct sub-meetings. A workshop of the university lectures which aimed at finalizing initial course modules and to discuss the engagement of universities in the Asia-Pacific region in the Cities and Climate Change Academy. A three-day seminar for university students where the lectures and supplementary work was piloted. Students presented research proposals which contribute to the Cities and Climate Change Initiative in the Philippines.
The Meeting brought together African Climate Change experts teaching urban courses at the university level or conducting research in the field of climate change. Experts exchanged their experiences and good practices in teaching climate change in urban programmes, discussed pilot interventions of CCCI in Kampala. In depth discussions on modules on Climate Change and Housing, Climate Change and Poverty, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction and Urban Climate Change Vulnerability Assessments were held.
The following areas were prioritized for module development:
Climate Change and urban Vulnerability Assessments
Climate Change and Shelter
Climate Change and adaptation and mitigation planning
Climate Change and urban water cycle management / Water and Sanitation Challenges
Climate Change and Urban Poverty (including food security)
Urban Disaster Risk Reduction in the age of Climate Change
The global workshop entitled, Strengthening climate change in urban education: Cities and Climate Change Academy was held in Bonn, 1-2 June 2011, ahead of the ICLEI World Congress on cities and adaptation to climate change 2011. It drew 34 participants representing universities from around the world.
The Outcomes of the Workshop were:
Participants shared global experiences on the status-quo, gaps and opportunities of climate change in urban education at university level.
Six courses for further elaboration were agreed. They cover (i) Theory and Concepts of Climate Change and Cities, (ii) Practice of Urban Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, (iii) Planning for Climate Change, (iv) Climate Change and Urban Water Cycle Management (incl. Sanitation), (v) Climate Change and Urban Energy (including Urban Transport), (vi) Climate Change and Shelter/Housing.
A generic design framework was agreed for the Terms of Reference.
Based on the course design framework, detailed substantive Terms of Reference were drafted for the six courses.
Partnership arrangements were proposed to ensure that the generic courses include local and regional dimensions of climate change and urban development.
A roadmap was agreed. It covered the finalization of the report, a call for proposals for course development, the selection of developers, support to developers, pre-testing (at a seminar in and for Latin America and the Caribbean), the completion of drafts, field-testing and finalization of the courses. Initial ideas for the next phase were also discussed.
